Marlow Cook
Encyclopedia
Marlow Webster Cook is a former Republican
United States Senator
from Kentucky
.
and served on submarines in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during World War II
. After the war, he enrolled at the University of Louisville
and earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1948 and a law degree in 1950. He practiced law in Louisville until 1957.
in 1957 and again in 1959. He served on a special committee analyzing education in the state and also on a planning committee.
Cook was elected to two terms as Jefferson County Judge-Executive, the equivalent of a mayor position administrating the populous Jefferson County, Kentucky
which by the 1960s was mostly suburbs of Louisville. He was elected in 1961 and, along with fellow Republican William O. Cowger
, Cook unseated the Democratic party which had held both offices for the previous 28 years.
In 1962, as County Judge-Executive, Cook was partially responsible for the county's $34,000 purchase of the decrepit steamboat Avalon at public auction
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. Though auctioned as little more than scrap material, upon refurbishment the boat was rechristened the Belle of Louisville
, and still (as of 2007) carries passengers yearly as one of the most recognizable symbols of the city of Louisville, Kentucky
. At the time, Interstate 64
was being constructed along the city's waterfront, and Cook's purchase of the steamboat was intended as a measure to bring attention to the city's historic cobblestone wharf
. A politically motivated taxpayer suit was brought by local lawyer Daniel Boone because of the county's expenditure of such an "outrageous sum" for a dilapidated "throwback to the Dark Ages of transportation," in Alan Bates' memorable phrase. According to Cook, the expenditure worked out to roughly 6 cents per taxpayer (a negligible sum even at that time), and when individual citizens complained, he would simply pay them off with pennies from a jar he kept in his office desk for the purpose. In a 1989 interview, Cook said that some people insisted on checks and although he wrote several such six-cent checks, none of them was ever cashed.
Cook was reelected in 1965 by a wide margin - 121,481 votes to Democrat William B. Stansbury
's 71,280.
In 1967, Cook ran at the top of a slate of statewide office holders as the candidate for Governor in Kentucky's Republican Primary and was defeated by Barren County Judge Louie B. Nunn
, who went on to be elected the first Republican Governor in Kentucky since 1943.
. In the general election, he narrowly defeated former state Commerce Commissioner Katherine Peden. In so doing he became the first Roman Catholic to hold statewide office in Kentucky. He was one of the first Republican senators to call for Richard Nixon
to resign following the Watergate Scandal
.
Cook was defeated in his 1974 bid for reelection by the Governor
, Democrat
Wendell Ford. Following the election, Cook resigned his seat early, in December, so that Ford would have greater seniority in the United States Senate.
. In a fiery op-ed, he announced his support for Democrat John Kerry
in the 2004 presidential election, saying "I have been, and will continue to be, a Republican. But when we
as a party send the wrong person to the White House, then it is
our responsibility to send him home if our nation suffers as a
result of his actions".
Some of his former aides have gone on to public office. Mitch McConnell
, now a Senator himself, was Cook's chief legislative aide from 1968 to 1970 and John Yarmuth
, member of the United States House of Representatives, was an aide to Cook in the 1970s before changing party affiliations.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
.
Early life
Cook moved to Louisville when he was 17. He joined the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and served on submarines in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, he enrolled at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
and earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1948 and a law degree in 1950. He practiced law in Louisville until 1957.
Kentucky House of Representatives
Cook was elected to the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
in 1957 and again in 1959. He served on a special committee analyzing education in the state and also on a planning committee.
Cook was elected to two terms as Jefferson County Judge-Executive, the equivalent of a mayor position administrating the populous Jefferson County, Kentucky
Jefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
which by the 1960s was mostly suburbs of Louisville. He was elected in 1961 and, along with fellow Republican William O. Cowger
William O. Cowger
William O. Cowger , a Republican, served as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky and as a member of the United States House of Representatives....
, Cook unseated the Democratic party which had held both offices for the previous 28 years.
In 1962, as County Judge-Executive, Cook was partially responsible for the county's $34,000 purchase of the decrepit steamboat Avalon at public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Though auctioned as little more than scrap material, upon refurbishment the boat was rechristened the Belle of Louisville
Belle of Louisville
The Belle of Louisville is a steamboat owned and operated by the city of Louisville, Kentucky and moored at its downtown wharf next to the Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere during its annual operational period...
, and still (as of 2007) carries passengers yearly as one of the most recognizable symbols of the city of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. At the time, Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
was being constructed along the city's waterfront, and Cook's purchase of the steamboat was intended as a measure to bring attention to the city's historic cobblestone wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
. A politically motivated taxpayer suit was brought by local lawyer Daniel Boone because of the county's expenditure of such an "outrageous sum" for a dilapidated "throwback to the Dark Ages of transportation," in Alan Bates' memorable phrase. According to Cook, the expenditure worked out to roughly 6 cents per taxpayer (a negligible sum even at that time), and when individual citizens complained, he would simply pay them off with pennies from a jar he kept in his office desk for the purpose. In a 1989 interview, Cook said that some people insisted on checks and although he wrote several such six-cent checks, none of them was ever cashed.
Cook was reelected in 1965 by a wide margin - 121,481 votes to Democrat William B. Stansbury
William B. Stansbury
William Brown Stansbury was an American lawyer and politician who held the office of the Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1977 to 1982....
's 71,280.
In 1967, Cook ran at the top of a slate of statewide office holders as the candidate for Governor in Kentucky's Republican Primary and was defeated by Barren County Judge Louie B. Nunn
Louie B. Nunn
Louie Broady Nunn was the 52nd governor of Kentucky. Elected in 1967, he was the first Republican elected to that office since Simeon Willis in 1943 and the last to hold it until the election of Ernie Fletcher in 2003....
, who went on to be elected the first Republican Governor in Kentucky since 1943.
United States Senate
In 1968, Cook ran for the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Thruston B. MortonThruston Ballard Morton
Thruston Ballard Morton , a Republican, represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was born in Louisville and received a B.A. with the Yale Class of 1929....
. In the general election, he narrowly defeated former state Commerce Commissioner Katherine Peden. In so doing he became the first Roman Catholic to hold statewide office in Kentucky. He was one of the first Republican senators to call for Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
to resign following the Watergate Scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
.
Cook was defeated in his 1974 bid for reelection by the Governor
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
, Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Wendell Ford. Following the election, Cook resigned his seat early, in December, so that Ford would have greater seniority in the United States Senate.
Later career
After his political career, Cook practiced law in Washington D.C. until 1989 when he retired to Sarasota, FloridaSarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
. In a fiery op-ed, he announced his support for Democrat John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in the 2004 presidential election, saying "I have been, and will continue to be, a Republican. But when we
as a party send the wrong person to the White House, then it is
our responsibility to send him home if our nation suffers as a
result of his actions".
Some of his former aides have gone on to public office. Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
, now a Senator himself, was Cook's chief legislative aide from 1968 to 1970 and John Yarmuth
John Yarmuth
John Yarmuth is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.- Early life, education and career :...
, member of the United States House of Representatives, was an aide to Cook in the 1970s before changing party affiliations.